Yelp is a must-have for the modern business, regardless of what kind of business it is. Reviews of TGB on Yelp could let people know if our game selection really is that worth the trip, if our food is any good, if we have any proper upkeep of the premises, and most importantly, the ambiance. Yelp is unique among social media platforms, since many people will rely on Yelp to convince them if the place is worth visiting or not, based solely on guest reviews. Unfortunately, like most review websites, a single negative review can stay in a person's mind far more than several highly positive reviews. That's an unfortunate side effect of an otherwise helpful and reliable website.
Flickr might be an odd choice of a social media platform, but having seen what MiraCosta does on Flickr, it could be a great choice, for both attracting fans and for staying organized. Flickr allows users to organize photos in albums. It's a simple interface, but it could be great for showcasing entertaining photos of events held by the business, and since TGB is all about immersion, it could possibly be used to collect pictures of guests in costume.
While I honestly can't see a very substantial TGB presence on Reddit, I do think that the main user demographic (intelligent people 18 - 49) would be a profitable group to advertise to. Reddit tends to share mostly fascinating news from the past and present, interesting personal stories, and clever, funny images relating to whatever "subreddit" you choose to visit. There are subreddits for literally every topic. Perhaps one method to use the popular trends to our advantage could be sharing behind-the-scenes stories from the production of classic games, vintage pictures, and retro gaming news on retro-geared subreddits.
As I've said in the past, TGB isn't a good fit for social media. There's only so many ways an arcade/diner/lounge combination can be marketed as a social experience. Even though it's not a viable option anymore as of earlier this year, Vine is the only remaining social media platform that TGB could do something with. Video game snippets, 80's themed skits, and daily activities in the lounge could all find their way to a Vine format.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Monday, November 7, 2016
Week 9a: Blogging for Business
I'm a big fan of human interest posts. In fact, one of my posts on The Game Boys Facebook page that I scheduled a few weeks ago was human interest (A post honoring our "game technicians" who keep the video games up and running). I like learning little behind-the-scenes tidbits about the people involved in a business. Posts like "(business) wishes our founder a very happy birthday" make me, and I assume others, just feel good.
The great thing about human interest posts is that the content comes from real life. The people who get featured on business' social media pages as part of a human interest story are real people with real experiences. They can be incredibly inspiring, and social media followers get the sense that the business is just as inspired as they are. I speak from experience when I say that when MiraCosta's social media does a feature on a student who overcame obstacles to succeed in school, it just leaves a much nicer feeling than if I heard the story second-hand from some random person.
The great thing about human interest posts is that the content comes from real life. The people who get featured on business' social media pages as part of a human interest story are real people with real experiences. They can be incredibly inspiring, and social media followers get the sense that the business is just as inspired as they are. I speak from experience when I say that when MiraCosta's social media does a feature on a student who overcame obstacles to succeed in school, it just leaves a much nicer feeling than if I heard the story second-hand from some random person.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Week 7b: Get Visual
Like I said in the last post, I don't think The Game Boys would work well with visual media. The only kind of content I could imagine posting on a visual platform is straight-up advertisements. Since a successful social media page can't subsist or garner interest that way, it makes no sense to apply TGB to a visual platform.
1) Boomers San Diego (162 Twitter followers)
Boomers San Diego has a Facebook Page and a Twitter Page. Their Twitter page is abysmal. All the posts are very similar ("It's a great day! Come down to Boomers!" etc.) and have almost no comments, likes, or retweets. They only post once every 4 months, so it's no surprise they're not gaining attention. Their last post, an ad for their ultimate birthday party sweepstakes, was August 1st. There's no word on who won or any kind of follow-up. Overall, a very poor social media presence.
2) Totally 80's Bar & Grill (49,221 Facebook Followers)
Totally 80's Bar and Grill is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and appears to be active on all platforms except for Twitter, where they haven't updated for a year. A lot of their posts center around upcoming performance by live acts, as well as promoting a lively party atmosphere and delicious food and cocktails. Their Instagram hosts a lot of photos, and their Facebook seems dedicated to promoting upcoming events. Unfortunately, it looks like despite their large following, their posts on FB get very little engagement. Very few likes, shares and comments over the last month. Instagram has more engagement at an average 60 likes per post. But, at nearly 4,000 followers, it's still a troubling lack of attention.
3) Chuck E Cheese (1,000,000+ Facebook Followers)
Chuck E Cheese is on every popular social media platform, including Pinterest, Youtube, and Google+. Granted, Chuck E Cheese is particularly geared towards families with small children, but it has a monopoly on the arcade business, so I should include it here. Their posts seem to center around very kid-friendly events at different locations, as well as articles for parents ("Help your kids learn to dress themselves with this reward calendar", etc.). They post 1-2 times a day with an average 125 likes on each post. It's interesting that a chain that has such a massive following would generate so little engagement in comparison. It's hard to say if this is on the shoulders of the business or the followers simply not responding or caring about the pages they choose to follow on social media. Overall, Chuck E Cheese's pages are run well, despite the habit of posting more about raising happy children and less about the business.
4) Breakfast Club Diner (2,103 Facebook Followers)
Breakfast Club Diner has a Facebook page and a Twitter page, although the link to the latter doesn't work. This might seem like an interesting business to bring up, since TGB isn't really a restaurant as much as it hosts a counter service place (much like a food court in a bowling alley). However, since BCD is themed around the 80s, they do a great job of incorporating that kind of content on their social media. It's really similar to how I might want to run my own page, to the point where I actually shared one of their posts on TGB's Facebook page. They post at least once a week, at most, twice a day. While they do post about their food, they also post funny 80s themed memes and neat vidoes, which can generate a lot of attention and likes. Again, their posts don't get much engagement at all, and I think it's because they don't ask questions or make posts to engage or interact with their followers. It's one thing to make an interesting post with interesting information, but it's another thing to make one that really gets people talking, not just to the business, but to each other.
1) Boomers San Diego (162 Twitter followers)
Boomers San Diego has a Facebook Page and a Twitter Page. Their Twitter page is abysmal. All the posts are very similar ("It's a great day! Come down to Boomers!" etc.) and have almost no comments, likes, or retweets. They only post once every 4 months, so it's no surprise they're not gaining attention. Their last post, an ad for their ultimate birthday party sweepstakes, was August 1st. There's no word on who won or any kind of follow-up. Overall, a very poor social media presence.
2) Totally 80's Bar & Grill (49,221 Facebook Followers)
Totally 80's Bar and Grill is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and appears to be active on all platforms except for Twitter, where they haven't updated for a year. A lot of their posts center around upcoming performance by live acts, as well as promoting a lively party atmosphere and delicious food and cocktails. Their Instagram hosts a lot of photos, and their Facebook seems dedicated to promoting upcoming events. Unfortunately, it looks like despite their large following, their posts on FB get very little engagement. Very few likes, shares and comments over the last month. Instagram has more engagement at an average 60 likes per post. But, at nearly 4,000 followers, it's still a troubling lack of attention.
3) Chuck E Cheese (1,000,000+ Facebook Followers)
Chuck E Cheese is on every popular social media platform, including Pinterest, Youtube, and Google+. Granted, Chuck E Cheese is particularly geared towards families with small children, but it has a monopoly on the arcade business, so I should include it here. Their posts seem to center around very kid-friendly events at different locations, as well as articles for parents ("Help your kids learn to dress themselves with this reward calendar", etc.). They post 1-2 times a day with an average 125 likes on each post. It's interesting that a chain that has such a massive following would generate so little engagement in comparison. It's hard to say if this is on the shoulders of the business or the followers simply not responding or caring about the pages they choose to follow on social media. Overall, Chuck E Cheese's pages are run well, despite the habit of posting more about raising happy children and less about the business.
4) Breakfast Club Diner (2,103 Facebook Followers)
Breakfast Club Diner has a Facebook page and a Twitter page, although the link to the latter doesn't work. This might seem like an interesting business to bring up, since TGB isn't really a restaurant as much as it hosts a counter service place (much like a food court in a bowling alley). However, since BCD is themed around the 80s, they do a great job of incorporating that kind of content on their social media. It's really similar to how I might want to run my own page, to the point where I actually shared one of their posts on TGB's Facebook page. They post at least once a week, at most, twice a day. While they do post about their food, they also post funny 80s themed memes and neat vidoes, which can generate a lot of attention and likes. Again, their posts don't get much engagement at all, and I think it's because they don't ask questions or make posts to engage or interact with their followers. It's one thing to make an interesting post with interesting information, but it's another thing to make one that really gets people talking, not just to the business, but to each other.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Week 7a: Get Visual
Honestly, I don't feel that visual platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, etc. would really work well with The Game Boys. TGB prides itself on sticking to a retro aesthetic, so in a way, it might seem out of place for TGB to be up-to-date on all the current social media. I realize that that's a dangerous way of thinking for a business, but I can't see how an arcade/diner could possibly market itself on Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Youtube and Twitter are the only platforms I could possibly do something with, but even then, it's a stretch.
A TGB Youtube channel might feature footage from the business edited to make it look like a worn-out VHS tape, with garbled audio, blurry images and scratches along the bottom of the screen. The only kind of content I can imagine uploading to a TGB Youtube page are blatant advertisements, and a successful channel has to have more than that.
The other option, Twitter, might only work as an alternative/redirect to FB. For example, I write a post on the TGB FB page, then write a short summary of that post on Twitter. Or, make a reference to the FB post on the Twitter page, then say "for more info, go here." It might also do well as an image sharing platform occasionally, i.e., "Check out this picture of a fun thing we did at TGB on Friday".
So, to sum it up, TGB kind of shoots itself in the foot with its goal; being out-of-date. Being out-of-date means it stays away from the social media game, which is a very dangerous move these days. I suppose in the end it doesn't matter, since it's not a real business, but if it were, it wouldn't know how to appeal to social media users outside of Facebook.
A TGB Youtube channel might feature footage from the business edited to make it look like a worn-out VHS tape, with garbled audio, blurry images and scratches along the bottom of the screen. The only kind of content I can imagine uploading to a TGB Youtube page are blatant advertisements, and a successful channel has to have more than that.
The other option, Twitter, might only work as an alternative/redirect to FB. For example, I write a post on the TGB FB page, then write a short summary of that post on Twitter. Or, make a reference to the FB post on the Twitter page, then say "for more info, go here." It might also do well as an image sharing platform occasionally, i.e., "Check out this picture of a fun thing we did at TGB on Friday".
So, to sum it up, TGB kind of shoots itself in the foot with its goal; being out-of-date. Being out-of-date means it stays away from the social media game, which is a very dangerous move these days. I suppose in the end it doesn't matter, since it's not a real business, but if it were, it wouldn't know how to appeal to social media users outside of Facebook.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Week 6b: Intro to FB strategy
I think I've planned a nice little group of posts to go up during October. I always felt that on days where there was nothing to promote or announce or whatever, it's always nice to maybe make a little joke or ask how your followers are doing. My post for 10/19 follows this strategy, because even if all I do is make someone laugh or smile, that's still a connection. It's also nice to feel like a business cares about more than the business at hand.
My 10/22 post makes an attempt to honor the staff who keep the place up and running, while also informing our followers how many games The Game Boys actually host. It's really cool when any business can make even the lowest guy on the totem pole feel important, and that appreciation rubs off on followers as well. Disneyland did a similar thing where they made little videos for YouTube showcasing each job at the park and someone who worked in that area, no matter how obscure or minor the job was. It really got across how much Disneyland appreciates their employees, plus the videos themselves were incredibly interesting.
Finally, the 10/27 and 10/31 posts focus on Halloween, with 10/27 hinting that The Game Boys might be planning something for Halloween. Sure enough, they do, and the excitement generated by the Thriller video post only helps the hype for the Halloween event.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Week 6a: Intro to Facebook Strategy
I chose the following pages to like as The Game Boys:
-Nintendo
-Atari
-Lazy Game Reviews (public figure)
-80s Movies Rock (community)
-RetroCollect
-Classic Game Room
-Comics n' Stuff
Obviously, the one thing all these pages have in common are the nostalgia factor. Nintendo and Atari in particular are very important to The Game Boys, as they created and own many of the games that The Game Boys keeps at their location. In fact, the game cabinets shown on The Game Boy's cover photo all Nintendo and Atari games, so it makes sense to try and appeal to Nintendo and Atari fans.
Lazy Game Reviews might be an unconventional choice for a Featured like, but considering his Youtube show and fan base are centered around old computers and and a passion for old console gaming and retro tech in general, it would behoove The Game Boys to get his attention so that he could promote the business to his fans.
80s Movies Rock, while not a business, would be a nice little gift-wrapped community to appeal to. Each person there has one thing in common: They all love 80s movies, and what do you know, The Game Boys shows 80s movies all day long on VHS, which might appeal to the more hardcore format fans.
RetroCollect and Classic Games Room each promote a love of old games, and they're both an obvious choice to connect with.
Lastly, I envision Comics n' Stuff as being a sort of business partner to The Game Boys. They could do cross promotions (buy 3 comics and get 10 extra tokens for use at The Game Boys). In my mind, I see The Game Boys being in the El Camino Real mall, where Comics n' Stuff is also located. Not only would it boost popularity for both businesses, it would make those cross-promotions more convenient for the customers.
Obviously, there's a lot to be said for trying to attract a similar market. If The Game Boys share these Featured likes on their page and end up sending Lazy Game Reviews more likes on FB, LGR might notice and make it a Featured like on his page as well, in a show of business solidarity, thus driving more people to The Game Boys page in return.
-Nintendo
-Atari
-Lazy Game Reviews (public figure)
-80s Movies Rock (community)
-RetroCollect
-Classic Game Room
-Comics n' Stuff
Obviously, the one thing all these pages have in common are the nostalgia factor. Nintendo and Atari in particular are very important to The Game Boys, as they created and own many of the games that The Game Boys keeps at their location. In fact, the game cabinets shown on The Game Boy's cover photo all Nintendo and Atari games, so it makes sense to try and appeal to Nintendo and Atari fans.
Lazy Game Reviews might be an unconventional choice for a Featured like, but considering his Youtube show and fan base are centered around old computers and and a passion for old console gaming and retro tech in general, it would behoove The Game Boys to get his attention so that he could promote the business to his fans.
80s Movies Rock, while not a business, would be a nice little gift-wrapped community to appeal to. Each person there has one thing in common: They all love 80s movies, and what do you know, The Game Boys shows 80s movies all day long on VHS, which might appeal to the more hardcore format fans.
RetroCollect and Classic Games Room each promote a love of old games, and they're both an obvious choice to connect with.
Lastly, I envision Comics n' Stuff as being a sort of business partner to The Game Boys. They could do cross promotions (buy 3 comics and get 10 extra tokens for use at The Game Boys). In my mind, I see The Game Boys being in the El Camino Real mall, where Comics n' Stuff is also located. Not only would it boost popularity for both businesses, it would make those cross-promotions more convenient for the customers.
Obviously, there's a lot to be said for trying to attract a similar market. If The Game Boys share these Featured likes on their page and end up sending Lazy Game Reviews more likes on FB, LGR might notice and make it a Featured like on his page as well, in a show of business solidarity, thus driving more people to The Game Boys page in return.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Week 5: Post Reach vs. Engagements
1) Post reach refers to the number of people your post is seen by, either directly or through shares and reposts. The term "reach" could also refer to how many different kinds of online communities your post is seen by, not just communities directly tied to your business.
Post engagement, meanwhile, refers to how much interaction is occurring between people and your posts and FB page. Clicks, likes, comments, and messages are all a form of engagement, since they involve communication and interaction between a person and a business.
2) Knowing the difference between reach and engagement is important because, as I said above, they are both very different. A posting with a far reach might be seen by many, but it could be the post with greater engagement that gets spread further due to interesting content, like a question from the business to the consumer, a contest, or a funny joke. Similarly, a post with more engagement might generate more loyal followers than the post that is simply seen by people.
3) Businesses can use these insights in order to create a more balanced page/follower relationship. The reach and engagement metrics can be used to see what kind of posts do well at getting the most engagement and which posts get the most reach, and using those numbers to compose posts that succeed at getting a far reach with great engagement.
Post engagement, meanwhile, refers to how much interaction is occurring between people and your posts and FB page. Clicks, likes, comments, and messages are all a form of engagement, since they involve communication and interaction between a person and a business.
2) Knowing the difference between reach and engagement is important because, as I said above, they are both very different. A posting with a far reach might be seen by many, but it could be the post with greater engagement that gets spread further due to interesting content, like a question from the business to the consumer, a contest, or a funny joke. Similarly, a post with more engagement might generate more loyal followers than the post that is simply seen by people.
3) Businesses can use these insights in order to create a more balanced page/follower relationship. The reach and engagement metrics can be used to see what kind of posts do well at getting the most engagement and which posts get the most reach, and using those numbers to compose posts that succeed at getting a far reach with great engagement.
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